John h



(No Model.)

J. H. BICKFORD. BLEGTRIG CONNECTION.

Patented June 23, 1891.

4 E mv 4;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.y

JOHN H. BIOKFORD, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH F.

' PORTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CONNECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,794, dated June 23,1891.

Application filed March 6, 1891. ASerial No.383,946. (No model.)

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. B1cKEoED, of Salem, county of Essex, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Bonds or ElectricConnections for Railway-Rails, of

of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a speciiication, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

Prior to this invention railway-rails have been connected together by abond or connection to insure a good electric connection, that said railsmay be used as an electric circuit. The bond or electricconnectioncommonly r 5 used consisted of a piece of wire of suitable lengthconnected to the adjacent ends of the rails by rivets passing throughthe webs of the rails.

It frequently happens that the shanks of zo the rivets do not snugly litthe holes made to receive them, and a bad contact is the result.

This invention has for its object to construct a bond or electricconnection whereby a good contact is insured.

My invention comprehends the employment of terminals having holesthrough them, and bolts or equivalents by which they are or may beconnected to the adjacent ends of the rails, and a wire or Wiresconnecting said ter- 3o minals. The terminals preferably have inaddition to the bolt-receiving holes a concentric slitted projectionwhich is expanded by the tapering Shanks of the bolts.

Figure 1 shows in plan view and partial 3 5 section a bond or electricconnection for railway-rails embodying this invention; and Fig.

2, a modification to be referred to.

The rails a b and the fish-plates c d and bolts by which they areattached to the rails 4o are all of usual construction. Two terminals,herein shown as arms e c', are located one at each side of the rail c,being bent, as shown, to extend outwardly a distance more than equal tothe thickness of the fish-plates. The terminal e has a hole through itat one end,

and concentric with said hole a slitted annular projection e2, whichsnugly nts the hole made through the web of the rail c. The hole throughthe end of the terminal e is reamed A bolt f, having a tapering shank,is driven through the hole in the terminal e and its lannularprojection, as shown in Fig. l, said tapering shank causing the slittedannular projection e2 to expand and bear more firmly against theinterior of the hole in the web of the rail to thereby insure a perfectelectric connection. The terminal e has a hole through it at its endwhich receives the end of the shank of the bolt f, and a nut f is placedon the bolt in any usual manner to bind the parts together, The holethrough the terminal e is also slightly tapering, as shown.

The pair of terminals c' c" are connected to the opposite rail insubstantially the same manner, and are constructed in substantially thesame way as the terminals e e', and the terminals cz' and terminals ci', respectively, are connected by wires, as w w. The bolts f are driveninto the tapering holes which receive them by heavy hammers or sledges.

Referring to Fig. 2, but one terminal, as e, is shown, it having aslitted annular proj ection internally tapered. In this latter instancea single bond is represented instead of a double bond, as shown in Fig.l.

l. A bond or electric connect-ion for railwayrails, composed of twoterminals with holes through them, concentric annular projections c andbolts for attaching said terminals to the rails, and awire connectingthe terminals, substantially as described.

2. A bond or electric connection for railwayrails, composed of twoterminals with holes through them, concentric slitted annularprojcctions' and bolts for attaching said terminals to the rails, and aWire connecting the terminals, substantially as described.

3. Abond or electric connection for railwayrails, composed of two armsor terminals having holes through them, and concentric annularprojections tapering internally, as shown, bolts With tapering shanksand nuts thereon,

by which said arms or terminals are con-M holes therethrough andarranged on the tapering'shanks of the bolts and the Wire, as w,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 15V name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN U. BICKFORD.

Vitnesses:

BERNICE J. NoYEs, EDWARD F. ALLEN.

